The story that inspired the legendary ballet, presented in a beautiful hardcover edition perfect for giving as a gift.

Written in 1816 by the German Romantic E. T. A. Hoffmann for his children, nephews and nieces, The Nutcracker captures better than any other story a child's wonder at Christmas. Since its publication, it has inspired hundreds of artists and adaptations, most notably the legendary ballet, scored by Russian composer Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Today, the story - and its enchanting images of sugar plums and nutcrackers, mistletoe and the Kingdom of the Dolls - continues to cast its fantastical spell on readers of all ages.

E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was one of the major figures of European Romanticism, specializing in tales of the fantastical and uncanny. He was also a music critic, jurist, composer and caricaturist. His Tales of Hoffmann, available in Penguin Classics, includes such masterpieces as 'Mademoiselle de Scudery', one of the earliest example of crime fiction, and Hoffmann's terrifying version of 'The Sandman'.

Joachim Neugroschel won three PEN translation awards and the French-American Foundation Translation Prize. He translated Thomas Mann's Death in Venice and Sacher-Masoch's Venus in Furs, among other works, for Penguin Classics.

Written in 1816 by one of the leaders of German Romanticism for his children, nephews, and nieces, The Nutcracker captures better than any other story a child's wonder at Christmas.

About the Author
E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was one of the major figures of European Romanticism, specializing in tales of the fantastical and uncanny. He was also a music critic, jurist, composer and caricaturist.

Reviews
"For lit nerds and loved ones who are notoriously hard to shop for, you can't go wrong with these festively bound classics. . . . Their size makes them perfectly stocking-stuffable." -Entertainment Weekly, "The Must List"

"Leave it to the folks at Penguin-who gave us Gothed-out editions of horror classics for Halloween-to package these . . . slim Yuletide-themed volumes." -Newsday, "Best Books to Give as Holiday Gifts"

"Remember how Christmas was celebrated before Black Friday with these 19th-century authors, in small uniform volumes wrapped in pretty jackets." -USA Today, "Holiday Gift Books So Pretty, No Need to Wrap"

"Beautifully designed." -The Washington Post



Book Information
ISBN 9780143122500
Author E.T.A. Hoffmann
Format Hardback
Page Count 96
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 234g
Dimensions(mm) 193mm * 130mm * 15mm